Stoke-on-Trent’s long-running Jobs, Enterprise and Training (JET) service has been overhauled in a move city leaders say will strengthen the local labour market and give employers easier access to work-ready candidates.
The revamped JET Business programme, now live, is designed to support residents seeking to re-enter work at a time when Staffordshire firms continue to report recruitment pressures. The council says demand is rising both from people looking for tailored employability support and from businesses needing help to fill vacancies.
A dedicated team of employment and skills consultants will lead the programme, drawing on deep knowledge of local recruitment trends. Their brief is wider than before: as well as one-to-one jobsearch and confidence-building support for residents, the team will provide a fully funded recruitment service for employers, plus specialist redundancy support for organisations navigating restructuring.
JET’s track record stretches back to 2009, during which time it has supported more than 10,000 people into work or training. The new iteration is intended to sharpen its focus on sustainable employment pathways, with stronger links to local skills provision and targeted initiatives such as Connect to Work, which supports disabled people and those with health conditions or complex barriers to employment.
Schools will also see more structured input, from labour-market insights to CV workshops and mock interviews—part of a push to prepare young people for a fast-changing jobs market.
The relaunch aligns with the Government’s Get Britain Working agenda and is being delivered in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire County Council, Jobcentre Plus and the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board.
City council leader Councillor Jane Ashworth said the refreshed programme would “offer even stronger support to people looking to re-enter the job market quickly” while giving employers access to candidates “equipped with the right skills and training.”
Businesses and residents can contact the JET Business team on 01782 231215 or Jet2work@stoke.gov.uk.
